Grade 3 Reading Curriculum

Family-facing version of the grade 3 Reading curriculum

Quarterly Overview of Grade 3 Reading

The objectives and outcomes for each unit are common across FCPS and based on the Virginia Standards of Learning. The pacing by quarter and by week provides an example of how the curriculum can be organized throughout the year. Teacher teams may adjust the pacing or order of units to best meet the needs of students.

Units and Details

Unit 1: Building a Community of Readers

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Present accurate directions to individuals and small groups.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectfully with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Use context to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Set a purpose for reading.
    • Make connections between reading selections.
    • Make, confirm, and revise predictions.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
    • Identify the author’s purpose.
    • Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read using the text for support.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas.
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points.
    • Use specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Increase vocabulary development by applying the knowledge of Greek and Latin stems to the English language. 
    • develop linguistic competency.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Make new connections considering the evidence and reasoning presented. 
    • Compare and contrast internal and external influences on settings, characters, and events over time. 
    • Develop analytical and interpretative skills in fiction, poetry, and/or non-fiction text. 
    • Respond to and question the answers of peers. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and considering multiple perspectives. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in language arts. 
    • Understand the concept of change to analyze literature. 
    • Identify a concept or “Big Idea” that supports interdisciplinary connections e.g. change, systems, patterns, relationships, etc. to analyze real-world problems. 
    • Consider long and short-term consequences of solutions.
    • State the main ideas or themes of the story. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring. 
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing. 
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
    • Use reading strategies such as predicting, questioning, and connecting to own
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring  experiences 
    • Summarize and encapsulate important ideas.

Unit 2: Characters

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Present accurate directions to individuals and small groups.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectively with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Apply word-analysis skills when reading:
    • Decode regular multisyllabic words.
    • Expand vocabulary when reading:
  • Use knowledge of homophones
    • Use context to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts. 
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Set a purpose for reading.
    • Make connections between reading selections.
    • Make, confirm, and revise predictions.
    • Compare and contrast settings, characters, and plot events.
    • Summarize plot events.
    • Identify the narrator of a story.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Identify the conflict and resolution.
    • Identify the theme.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression. 

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas. 
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points. 
    • Use specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Apply word-analysis skills when reading:
    • Use a variety of word recognition skills.
    • Increase number of known words. 
  • Use knowledge of homophones:
    • Use the words around an unknown word to figure out its meaning.
    • Use text, word parts, knowledge of stems and word origins to figure out unfamiliar words.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Make new connections considering the evidence and reasoning presented. 
    • Compare and contrast internal and external influences on settings, characters, and events over time. 
    • Develop analytical and interpretative skills in fiction, poetry, and/or non-fiction text. 
    • Respond to and question the answers of peers. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and considering multiple perspectives. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in language arts. 
    • Understand the concept of change to analyze literature. 
    • Identify a concept or “Big Idea” that supports interdisciplinary connections e.g. change, systems, patterns, relationships, etc. to analyze real-world problems. 
    • Consider long and short-term consequences of solutions.
    • State the main ideas or themes of the story. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring. 
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing.

Unit 3: Nonfiction

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectfully with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Use knowledge of homophones.
    • Use context to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts.
    • Use vocabulary from other content areas.
    • Use word-reference resources including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
    • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
  • Identify the author’s purpose.
    • Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
    • Preview and use text features including table of contents, headings, pictures, captions, maps, indices, and charts.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read using the text for support.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Summarize information found in nonfiction texts.
    • Identify the main idea.
    • Identify supporting details.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas. 
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points. 
    • Use specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Increase vocabulary development by applying the knowledge of Greek and Latin stems to the English language. 
    • Develop linguistic competency.
    • Use reference books to determine meaning, pronunciation, and origin of words and word stems.
    • Use reference materials including online encyclopedias, thesauruses, and glossaries. 
    • Organize information using diagrams, charts, and graphs.
  • Identify the author’s purpose:
    • Use reading strategies such as predicting, questioning, and connecting to own experiences. 
    •  Use text features including headings, graphs, and table of contents.
    • Organize information using diagrams, charts, and graphs.
    • Summarize and encapsulate important ideas. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include: determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions and considering multiple perspectives. 
    • Understand cause and effect and its relationship to consequences and implications within a text.
    • Analyze literature through the lens of a concept.  
    • Develop reasoning skills in the language arts.
    • Understand classifications of details to make generalizations within a text. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring.
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing.

Unit 4: Functional Texts

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Present accurate directions to individuals and small groups.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectfully with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
    • Identify the author’s purpose.
    • Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
    • Preview and use text features including table of contents, headings, pictures, captions, maps, indices, and charts.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read using the text for support.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Summarize information found in nonfiction texts.
    • Identify the main idea.
    • Identify supporting details.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas. 
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points. 
    • Use specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
    • Use reading strategies such as predicting, questioning, and connecting to own experiences. 
    • Use text features including headings, graphs, and table of contents.
    • Organize information using diagrams, charts, and graphs.
    • Summarize and encapsulate important ideas. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include: determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions and considering multiple perspectives.
    • Understand cause and effect and its relationship to consequences and implications within a text.  
    • Analyze literature through the lens of a concept. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in the language arts.
    • Understand classifications of details to make generalizations within a text. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring.
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing.

Unit 5: Critical Literacy Book Clubs

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Present accurate directions to individuals and small groups.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectfully with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Give oral presentations:
    • Speak clearly using appropriate volume.
    • Speak at an understandable rate.
    • Make eye contact with the audience.
    • Organize ideas sequentially or around major points of information using appropriate facts and relevant details.
    • Use contextually appropriate language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use multimodal tools to create presentations and enhance communication.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies to determine the meaning of new words.
    • Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Set a purpose for reading.
    • Make connections between reading selections.
    • Make, confirm, and revise predictions.
    • Compare and contrast settings, characters, and plot events.
    • Summarize plot events.
    • Identify the narrator of a story.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Identify the conflict and resolution.
    • Identify the theme.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas. 
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points. 
    • Use specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Give oral presentations:
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars. 
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
    • Develop skills of argument formulation in persuasive communication. 
    • Make informative and/or persuasive presentations using purposeful structure and visuals.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Increase vocabulary development by applying the knowledge of Greek and Latin stems to the English language. 
    • develop linguistic competency.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Make new connections considering the evidence and reasoning presented. 
    • Compare and contrast internal and external influences on settings, characters, and events over time. 
    • Develop analytical and interpretative skills in fiction, poetry, and/or non-fiction text. 
    • Respond to and question the answers of peers. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and considering multiple perspectives. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in language arts. 
    • Understand the concept of change to analyze literature. 
    • Identify a concept or “Big Idea” that supports interdisciplinary connections e.g. change, systems, patterns, relationships, etc. to analyze real-world problems. 
    • Consider long and short-term consequences of solutions.
    • State the main ideas or themes of the story. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring. 
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing.

Unit 6: Content Area Research

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Present accurate directions to individuals and small groups.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectfully with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Give oral presentations:
    • Speak clearly using appropriate volume.
    • Speak at an understandable rate.
    • Make eye contact with the audience.
    • Organize ideas sequentially or around major points of information using appropriate facts and relevant details.
    • Use contextually appropriate language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use multimodal tools to create presentations and enhance communication.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies to determine the meaning of new words.
    • Use context to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts.
    • Use vocabulary from other content areas.
    • Use word-reference resources including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
    • Identify the author’s purpose.
    • Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
    • Preview and use text features including table of contents, headings, pictures, captions, maps, indices, and charts.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read using the text for support.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Summarize information found in nonfiction texts.
    • Identify the main idea.
    • Identify supporting details.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression.
  • Demonstrate comprehension of information resources to research a topic and complete a research product:
    • Construct questions about the topic.
    • Access appropriate resources.
    • Collect and organize information about the topic.
    • Evaluate the relevance of the information.
    • Avoid plagiarism and use own words.
    • Demonstrate ethical use of the Internet.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas. 
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points. 
    • Use specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Give oral presentations:
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars. 
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
    • Develop skills of argument formulation in persuasive communication. 
    • Make informative and/or persuasive presentations using purposeful structure and visuals.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Increase vocabulary development by applying the knowledge of Greek and Latin stems to the English language. 
    • Develop linguistic competency.
    • Use reference books to determine meaning, pronunciation, and origin of words and word stems.
    • Use reference materials including online encyclopedias, thesauruses, and glossaries. 
    • Organize information using diagrams, charts, and graphs.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
    • Use reading strategies such as predicting, questioning, and connecting to own experiences. 
    • Use text features including headings, graphs, and table of contents.
    • Organize information using diagrams, charts, and graphs.
    • Summarize and encapsulate important ideas. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include: determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions and considering multiple perspectives.
    • Understand cause and effect and its relationship to consequences and implications within a text.  
    • Analyze literature through the lens of a concept. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in the language arts.
    • Understand classifications of details to make generalizations within a text. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring.
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing.

Unit 7: Biography and Autobiography

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectfully with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Apply word-analysis skills when reading:
    •  Use knowledge of regular and irregular vowel patterns.
    •  Decode regular multisyllabic words.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    •  Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies to determine the meaning of new words.
    •  Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.
    •  Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry: 
    • Set a purpose for reading.
    • Make connections between reading selections.
    • Make, confirm, and revise predictions.
    • Compare and contrast settings, characters, and plot events.
    • Summarize plot events.
    • Identify the narrator of a story.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Identify the conflict and resolution.
    • Identify the theme.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas. 
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points. 
    • Use specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Apply word-analysis skills when reading:
    • Use a variety of word recognition skills.
    • Increase the number of known words. 
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Increase vocabulary development by applying the knowledge of Greek and Latin stems to the English language. 
    • develop linguistic competency.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Make new connections considering the evidence and reasoning presented 
    • Compare and contrast internal and external influences on settings, characters, and events over time. 
    • Develop analytical and interpretative skills in fiction, poetry, and/or non-fiction text. 
    • Respond to and question the answers of peers. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and considering multiple perspectives. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in language arts. 
    • Understand the concept of change to analyze literature. 
    • Identify a concept or “Big Idea” that supports interdisciplinary connections e.g. change, systems, patterns, relationships, etc. to analyze real-world problems. 
    • Consider long and short-term consequences of solutions.
    • State the main ideas or themes of the story. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring. 
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing.

Unit 8: Poetry

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Present accurate directions to individuals and small groups.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectfully with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Give oral presentations:
    • Speak clearly using appropriate volume.
    • Speak at an understandable rate.
    • Make eye contact with the audience.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Use knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms, and antonyms to determine the meaning of new words.
    • Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies to determine the meaning of new words.
    • Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts.
    • Use vocabulary from other content areas.
    • Use word-reference resources including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Set a purpose for reading.
    • Make connections between reading selections.
    • Make, confirm, and revise predictions.
    • Identify the narrator of a story.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Identify the theme.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas. 
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points. 
    • Use specific vocabulary communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Give oral presentations:
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars. 
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
    • Develop skills of argument formulation in persuasive communication. 
    • Make informative and/or persuasive presentations using purposeful structure and visuals.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Increase vocabulary development by applying the knowledge of Greek and Latin stems to the English language. 
    • develop linguistic competency.
    • Use reference books to determine meaning, pronunciation, and origin of words and word stems.
    • Use reference materials including online encyclopedias, thesauruses, and glossaries. 
    • Organize information using diagrams, charts, and graphs.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Make new connections considering the evidence and reasoning presented. 
    • Compare and contrast internal and external influences on settings, characters, and events over time. 
    • Develop analytical and interpretative skills in fiction, poetry, and/or non-fiction text. 
    • Respond to and question the answers of peers. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and considering multiple perspectives. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in language arts. 
    • Understand the concept of change to analyze literature. 
    • Identify a concept or “Big Idea” that supports interdisciplinary connections e.g. change, systems, patterns, relationships, etc. to analyze real-world problems. 
    • Consider long and short-term consequences of solutions.
    • State the main ideas or themes of the story. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring. 
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing.

Unit 9: Testing as a Genre

Students will be able to: 

  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Use knowledge of homophones.
    • Use knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms, and antonyms to determine the meaning of unknown words.
    • Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies to determine the meaning of new words.
    • Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • Use vocabulary from other content areas.
    • Use word reference resources including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Make, confirm, and revise predictions.
    • Compare and contrast settings, characters, and plot events.
    • Summarize plot events.
    • Identify the narrator of a story.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Identify the conflict and resolution.
    • Identify the theme.
    • Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
    • Identify the author’s purpose.
    • Preview and use text features, including table of contents, headings, pictures, captions, maps, indices, and charts.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read, using the text for support.
    • Draw conclusions, using the text for support.
    • Summarize information found in nonfiction texts.
    • Identify the main idea.
    • Identify supporting details.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Increase vocabulary development by applying the knowledge of Greek and Latin stems to the English language. 
    • develop linguistic competency.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Make new connections considering the evidence and reasoning presented. 
    • Compare and contrast internal and external influences on settings, characters, and events over time. 
    • Develop analytical and interpretative skills in fiction, poetry, and/or non-fiction text. 
    • Respond to and question the answers of peers. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and considering multiple perspectives. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in language arts. 
    • Understand the concept of change to analyze literature. 
    • Identify a concept or “Big Idea” that supports interdisciplinary connections e.g. change, systems, patterns, relationships, etc. to analyze real-world problems. 
    • Consider long and short-term consequences of solutions.
    • State the main ideas or themes of the story.
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring. 
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing. 
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts:
    • Use reading strategies such as predicting, questioning, and connecting to own experiences. 
    • Use text features including headings, graphs, and table of contents.
    • Organize information using diagrams, charts, and graphs.
    • Summarize and encapsulate important ideas. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include: determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions and considering multiple perspectives.
    • Understand cause and effect and its relationship to consequences and implications within a text.  
    • Analyze literature through the lens of a concept. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in the language arts.
    • Understand classifications of details to make generalizations within a text. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring.

Unit 10: Series Book Clubs

Students will be able to: 

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Use active listening strategies including but not limited to making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and summarizing.
    • Present accurate directions to individuals and small groups.
    • Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
    • Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly.
    • Use language appropriate for context and audience.
    • Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
    • Participate in collaborative discussions.
    • Work respectfully with others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
  • Give oral presentations:
    • Speak clearly using appropriate volume.
    • Speak at an understandable rate.
    • Make eye contact with the audience.
    • Organize ideas sequentially or around major points of information using appropriate facts and relevant details.
    • Use contextually appropriate language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Set a purpose for reading.
    • Make connections between reading selections.
    • Make, confirm, and revise predictions.
    • Compare and contrast settings, characters, and plot events.
    • Summarize plot events.
    • Identify the narrator of a story.
    • Ask and answer questions about what is read.
    • Draw conclusions using the text for support.
    • Identify the conflict and resolution.
    • Identify the theme.
    • Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
    • Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.
    • Read with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful expression.

Extended Standards: In addition to the Virginia Standards of Learning named above, students who receive full-time Advanced Academic (AAP Level IV) Services engage with these extensions.

  • Use effective communication skills in a variety of settings:
    • Lead and contribute to discussions and viewpoints with others across content areas and in seminars. 
    • Ask clarifying questions and take notes when listening to a speaker.
    • Develop listening/oral communication skills.
    • Participate in group discussions as a listener and a speaker in seminars.
    • Pose and respond to open ended questions, clarifying and challenging ideas. 
    • Understand and encapsulate the speaker’s main points. 
    • Use specific vocabulary communicate ideas.
    • Use word origins and stems to expand vocabulary.
    • Articulate understanding of a reading to a partner. 
    • Engage in discussions with others by exchanging ideas, asking questions, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully to the comments of others.
  • Give oral presentations:
    • Speak clearly using appropriate volume.
    • Speak at an understandable rate.
    • Make eye contact with the audience.
    • Organize ideas sequentially or around major points of information using appropriate facts and relevant details.
    • Use contextually appropriate language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
    • Use multimodal tools to create presentations and enhance communication.
  • Expand vocabulary when reading:
    • Increase vocabulary development by applying the knowledge of Greek and Latin stems to the English language. 
    • develop linguistic competency.
  • Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry:
    • Make new connections considering the evidence and reasoning presented. 
    • Compare and contrast internal and external influences on settings, characters, and events over time. 
    • Develop analytical and interpretative skills in fiction, poetry, and/or non-fiction text. 
    • Respond to and question the answers of peers. 
    • Employ a variety of strategies, to include determining importance, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and considering multiple perspectives. 
    • Develop reasoning skills in language arts. 
    • Understand the concept of change to analyze literature. 
    • Identify a concept or “Big Idea” that supports interdisciplinary connections e.g. change, systems, patterns, relationships, etc. to analyze real-world problems. 
    • Consider long and short-term consequences of solutions.
    • State the main ideas or themes of the story. 
    • Monitor understanding and know what to do when it is not occurring.
    • Use expression, rhythm, and phrasing.

Virginia Department of Education Resources

Assessments

Student assessments are part of the teaching and learning process.

  • Teachers give assessments to students on an ongoing basis to
    • Check for understanding 
    • Gather information about students' knowledge or skills.
  • Assessments provide information about a child's development of knowledge and skills that can help families and teachers better plan for the next steps in instruction.

For testing questions or additional information about how schools and teachers use test results to support student success, families can contact their children's schools.

In Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), grade 3 tests focus on measuring content knowledge and skill development.

Looking for other grade 3 information?